Key holder

ABSTRACT

A key holder capable of surely eliminating such a highly possible problem that a hook may fall down from a hooking slit provided in a base member, which was a major defect of an existing same type of key holder and minimizing a production cost, characterized in that a hooking hardware for detachably hooking keys thereto is installed on a key cover enclosing a bundle of keys, the aforementioned hooking hardware (A) further comprising a base member ( 1 ) having a tubular part ( 2 ) with a plurality of slits ( 2   a ) therein, a hooking rod ( 3 ) fitted into the tubular part ( 2 ), a fitting means for fixing the fitted state of the hooking rod, and a plurality of hook members ( 6 ) for hooking the keys, each hook member ( 6 ) further comprising a hook ( 6   a ) for hooking the key thereto and a stop ring ( 6   b ) allowing the hooking rod ( 3 ) to be passed therethrough; the fixing means should desirably be so formed that a lever ( 4 ) provided extendedly at one end of the hooking rod ( 3 ) is elastically engaged with and disengaged from a locking claw ( 5 ) provided on the base member ( 1 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a key holder comprising a key cover toenclose a bundle of keys and a hooking hardware for detachably hookingkeys, and which is completely modified so that a major serious problemthat the important keys may fall down from the hooking hardware willnever occur.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Conventional types of key holders are shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.

[0003] A key holder (200) as shown in FIG. 4 comprises a hookinghardware (60) for detachably hooking keys (not shown in FIG. 4) in theupper middle area of a square-shaped inner sheet of a key cover (50).

[0004] The key cover (50) is folded into three layers so that a bundleof keys can be enclosed. A snap hook (51) is provided to enclose thekeys firmly inside the key cover.

[0005] The hooking hardware (60) as shown in FIG. 4 has a tubular part(61 a) which is created by rolling up one side of a base member (61) ofa metal plate in which a bottom part of the hooking member fordetachably hooking the key is engaged with each slit (61 b) provided inan axial direction of the base member.

[0006] A hook member (62) as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, has a structure inwhich a ball-shaped projection (62 b) is provided on a bottom edge of ahook (62 a) for hooking the key.

[0007] And the projection (62 b) engaged with the tubular part (2) ishooked in an edge of the slit (61 b) and the hook member (62) is fixedand will not fall down.

[0008] As an installing method of the hook (62 a) comprising theabove-identified structure, an opening for inserting the projection isprovided on one part of the slit. And after inserting the projectioninto the tubular part the said opening should be closed with a closingmember to be attached, or when inserting the projection into theopening, the slit (61 b) is compulsorily widened. However this existingtype of key holder (200) had a major defect that the base member (61) issometimes bent together with the tubular part (71 a) under some externalpressure while the key holder (200) is in use as indicated in FIG. 6.

[0009] In that case, the slit (61 b), as indicated in FIG. 6, should bewidened larger than the diameter of the projection (62 b), and then thehook member (62) easily drops off the base member (61). Thus, it was notuncommon for people to accidentally lose the important key and feelembarrassed.

[0010] Also, the existing type of key holder comprising an openingprovided in the slit and closed with the attached closing member afterinserting the projection had a problem to greatly increase a productioncost of such hooking hardware. Therefore, this invention provides a keyholder capable of surely eliminating such a highly possible problem thata hook (62) may fall down from a hooking slit (61 b) provided in a basemember (61), which was a major defect of an existing same type of keyholder (200) and minimizing a production cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A key holder in this invention to achieve the above-identifiedobjective is characterized in that a hooking hardware for detachablyhooking keys thereto is installed on a key cover enclosing a bundle ofkeys, the aforementioned hooking hardware (A) further comprising a basemember (1) having a tubular part (2) with a plurality of slits (2 a)therein, and a fitting means for fixing the fitted state of a hookingrod (3) fitted into the tubular part (2), a lever (4) providedextendedly at one end of the hooking rod (3) and a locking claw (5)provided on the base member (1) for elastic engagement anddisengagement, and a plurality of hook members (6) for hooking the keys,each hook member (6) further comprising a hook (6 a) for hooking the keythereto and a stop ring (6 b) allowing the hooking rod (3) to be passedtherethrough.

[0012] And the fixing means should desirably be so formed that a lever(4) provided extendedly at one end of the hooking rod (3) is elasticallyengaged with and disengaged from a locking claw (5) provided on the basemember (1).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in this invention and is an obliqueperspective view of the key cover to be widely spread,

[0014]FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in this invention and an obliqueperspective view of a dismantled hooking hardware installed in the keycover,

[0015]FIG. 3 also shows an embodiment in this invention and partiallyindicates a longitudinal sectional view of the hooking hardware,

[0016]FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the conventional type of key holder,

[0017]FIG. 5 corresponding to FIG. 1 partially shows a longitudinalsectional view of the hooking hardware and

[0018]FIG. 6 corresponds to FIG. 5 indicating a state where a deflectionpressure is added to the hooking hardware.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] One embodiment in this invention is described here based on theexplanation of FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0020] As indicated in FIG. 1, a key holder (100) comprises a structurein which a hooking hardware (A) for detachably hooking a plurality ofkeys (not indicated in Fig.) is provided inside a sheet type of a keycover (B) which can be folded into three layers. An item (10) is a hookfor fixing the folded key cover.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a main body of the hooking hardware(A) is a square-shaped base member (1) which is riveted on a specificplace of the key cover (B).

[0022] One side of the metal base member (1) is rolled up to create atubular part (2).

[0023] A plurality of slits (2 a) is provided at a regular interval inthe axial direction of the tubular part (2).

[0024] As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a hooking rod (3) for hooking eachhook member (6) as described below is fitted inside the hollow of thetubular part (2)

[0025] One end of the hooking rod (3) with almost the same length of thetubular part (2) extends to the outside of the tubular part and is bentat a right angle and then integrated with a short lever (4).

[0026] The diameter of the hooking rod (3) in this embodiment isapproximately 4 mm.

[0027] On the other hand, one side of the base member (1) as indicatedin FIG. 1 is integrated with an elastic locking claw (5) as a fixingmeans for detachably fixing the condition where the lever (4) is engagedand disengaged from the said locking claw.

[0028] As indicated in FIG. 2, the hook member (6) comprises a structurein which a hook (6 a) for detachably hooking the key and a stop ring (6b) allowing the hooking rod (3) to be passed therethrough are bothconnected by a connecting ring (6 c).

[0029] To assemble the hooking hardware (A) with the three parts of basemember (1), hooking rod (3) and hook member (6), firstly the stop ring(6 b) of the hook member (6) is inserted into the tubular part (2)through the slit (2 a).

[0030] Then, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hooking rod (3) isinserted into the tubular part (2) and the stop ring so that the hookmember (6) can be firmly stopped and fixed on the base member (1).

[0031] After installing the plurality of the hook member (6), insert thehooking rod (3) completely into the tubular part (2) and then press downthe lever (4) toward the hooking claw (5) as indicated in FIG. 1 so thatthe hooking rod (3) can be surely engaged and stopped by the elasticfunction of the said lever (4) and the hooking claw (5).

[0032] Thus, the hooking hardware (A) assembled as indicated abovecomprises such a thick hooking rod (3) of approx. 4 mm in diameter to bepassed through each stop ring (6 b) of the hook member (6).

[0033] Therefore, even if the base member (I) is exposed under a greatpressure for any reason while the key holder (100) is in use, thetubular part (2) will never be bent although the conventional key holderas mentioned in the beginning was often bent.

[0034] Even in the unlikely event that the tubular part (2) is bent, aseasily imagined in FIG. 3, the hook member (6) will not fall down fromthe base member (1) since the hooking rod (3) is inserted into the stopring (6 b) of the hook member (6).

[0035] Besides the above-identified embodiments, many other differentfixing means can be applied as a fixing means for the hooking rod (3).

[0036] For example, a male screw provided on one end of the hooking rod(3) can be engaged with female screw provided on the inner face of thetubular part (2), a stop ring can be engaged with a ring-shaped grooveprovided on the external circumference of one end of the hooking rod(3), or the like.

POTENTIAL FOR INDUSTRIAL USE

[0037] As clearly indicated in the above description, a key holderproposed in this invention comprises the following practical advantagescompared to the conventional key holder as indicated in FIG. 4 in whicha projection provided on one end of the hook member is hooked up to theopening edge of the slit in the tubular part provided on the basemember.

[0038] (a) A hooking rod is inserted into a stop ring provided on thebottom part of the hook member inserted through the slit of the tubularpart created on base member so that the hook member will never fall downfrom the hook member.

[0039] (b) Also, the hooking rod inserted into the tubular part surelyprevents the tubular part itself from the external pressure.

[0040] (c) Therefore, a key holder comprising the above-identifiedstructure eliminates such a highly possible problem that peopleaccidentally lose a key and feel embarrassed.

[0041] (d) Furthermore, it is possible to minimize a production cost andtime to provide an opening hole for the projection to be passedtherethrough and to provide an additional member to close the opening.

1. A key holder characterized in that a hooking hardware for detachablyhooking keys thereto is installed on a key cover enclosing a bundle ofkeys, the hooking hardware (A) further comprising a base member (I)having a tubular part (2) with a plurality of slits (2 a) therein, ahooking rod (3) fitted into the tubular part (2), a fitting means forfixing the fitted state of the hooking rod, and a plurality of hookmembers (6) for hooking the keys, each hook member (6) furthercomprising a hook (6 a) for hooking the key thereto and a stop ring (6b) allowing the hooking rod (3) to be passed therethrough.